poetry Poetry Prompt 18 – Rubaiyat

[AC Benus]

Poetry Prompt 18 – Rubaiyat 

 

Let's Write some Rubaiyat! 

There are two areas to explore: the historic form of this poem as a complete, self-continued unit, and its later use in English as a stanza pattern.

First, the original form: Omar Khayyám may not have invented the ruba'i, but he was a master at writing this type of verse. The term comes from the Arabic word for 'four,' and means a stand-alone poem in four lines. The plural is rubaiyat, and as such means a collection of these poems in one volume.

Khayyám, born in medieval Persia, was an all-around Renaissance man and bona fide genius; a great mathematician whose texts on the subject of algebra are still current today, an astronomer, geologist, and philosopher, it's a miracle he still had time to pursue his two main interests in life – wine and handsome young men!

Those less scholarly pursuits led him to create some of the best poetry mankind is lucky enough to have. Often these beautiful four-lined verses came spontaneously to him while he was at a gathering and would be written down by others. Soon after his death in 1131, his many young men and acolytes gathered them together and published a collection of approximately 300 rubaiyat.      

So, what makes a Rubaiyat a Rubaiyat? Four lines of equal syllable length – usually 10 beats for Khayyám – and a rhyming pattern more often than not conforming to a-a-a-b-a. This means a quatrain with three words that rhyme and one that does not; this 'oddball' is often the concluding word of the third line, but sometimes it can shift to the second.

Now that we know the basics of the form, the harder question arises as to what is the soul of this type of poem. It is a rather philosophical one, and for Khayyám personally, it rests squarely in the school of the ancient Greek thinker Epicurus. Akin in many ways to modern existentialism, it can be glibly summarized as 'eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!'

Let's look at an example.[1]   

 

عاشر من الناس كبار العقول
وجانب الجهال أهل الفضول
واشرب نقيع السم من عاقل
واسكب على الأرض دواء الجهول

رباعيات خيام

 

Eashir min alnnas kibar aleaqul
wajanib aljihal 'ahl alfudawl
washrab naqie alssmm min eaqil
waskab ealaa al'ard dawa' aljuhul

Omar Khayyám

 

One tenth of the top-minded people,

and also those people ignorant of curiosity,

drink the poisoned infusion of sanity

while pouring on the ground the medication of alcohol. 

Omar Khayyám

 

Here we see the poet has chosen to use consistent 10-syllable lines, and a rhyme pattern of a-a-b-a. In this regard, it's a good example of the form, and also shows the type of philosophical subject Rubaiyat excel at.

More examples:

 

يا نفس ما هذا الأسى والكدر

قد وقع الإثم وضاع الحذر

هل ذاق حلو العفو إلا الذى

أذنب والله عفا واغتفر

رباعيات خيام

 

Ya nafs mma hdha al'asaa walkudur
qad waqae al'iithm wadae alhidhr
hal dhaq hulu aleafw 'illa aldhdha
'adhnab walllah eafa waghtafir

Omar Khayyám

 

Hey, what is this same sorrow and chagrin
that has signaled sin and lost restraint;
it may have tasted sweet, but he who forgives
both 'guilt' and God pardons the excuse.

Omar Khayyám

 

-----------

 

اي بس كه نباشيم و جهان خواهد بود

ني نام زما و ني نشان خواهد بود

زين پيش نبوديم و نبد هيچ خلل   

زين پس چو نباشيم همان خواهد بود

رباعيات خيام

 

Ay bs kh nbashim w jhan khawahid bud
ni nam zama w ni nshan khawahid bud
zyn pysh nbwdim w nabud hych khalal
zyn ps chw nbashim hman khawahid bwd

Omar Khayyám

 

Suffice to say, we are not of the world that will be,

they will outshine this time that was,

and not be saddled with our piled-up damages;

if only we could do the same for us now.

 Omar Khayyám

   

Two more examples I cannot find the original for are these; they give a beautiful sense of Khayyám as a poet:

 

Everywhere that there has been a rose or tulip-bed,

It has come from the redness of the blood of a king;

Every violet shoot that grows from the earth

Is a mole that once was on the cheek of beauty. 

Omar Khayyám

[Clement Wood, translator]

 

-----------

 

Hell is a spark from my useless worries,

Paradise is a moment of time when I am tranquil. 

Omar Khayyám

[Clement Wood, translator]

 

 

Second, the modern form in English: Due to the stunning popularity of Edward FitzGerald's book, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, published in 1859, the Rubaiyat form became very well-known in English. So popular in fact, that rough parodies of it arose in blatant praise of drinks and carousing (ones which Khayyám no doubt would have cheered!). In addition, the attention FitzGerald's flowery and un-abashedly Victorian language received influenced generations of poets who came after him.[2] In time, the Rubaiyat was adapted into a stanza form.

It followed the originals in having consistent line lengths (either narrative like Khayyám: 10 syllables; or lyrical with 8 beats per line), and a rhyme pattern of a-a-b-a.

From this, a totally new type appeared called the 'Interlocking Rubaiyat.' This poem consists of multiple stanzas with the 'oddball' word forming the main rhyme for the next strophe. Thus, this pattern was born: a-a-b-a; b-b-c-b; c-c-d-c; d-d-e-d; e-e-f-e, and so forth.

Now for examples. First, a taste of FitzGerald:

 

I sometimes think that never blows so red

The Rose, as where some buried Caesar bled;

That every Hyacinth the Garden wears

Dropt in her Lap from some once lovely Head….

Edward FitzGerald,

after Omar Khayyám

 

Believe it or not, that is supposed to be the same poem that Clement Wood translated so beautifully and accurately above.

Here is another Rubaiyat:

 

Tudor indeed is gone and every rose, 

  Blood-red, blanch-white that in the sunset glows

  Cries: "Blood, Blood, Blood!" against the gothic stone 

  Of England, as the Howard or Boleyn knows.

Ezra Pound 

 

Suffice to say, the florid language of FitzGerad became associated with the form, but other poets were attracted to it as well. Few people realize that Robert Frost's best-known poem is a Rubaiyat. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening was first published in 1922, and recaptures some of the lost spirit and soul of the true Rubaiyat of Khayyám. 

It is an Interlocking example, and the rhyme patterns are this:[3]

 

…know.   

...though;   

…here   

…snow.   

 

…queer   

…near   

…lake   

…year.   

 

…shake   

…mistake.   

…sweep   

…flake.   

 

…deep,   

…keep,   

…sleep,   

…sleep.    

    

Frost chose a lyrical metre for this poem, and also concluded with a four-line strophe of a single rhyme, but the three preceding Rubaiyat work beautifully to bring the thought of one's own mortality to mind without even mentioning 'death.'   

 

The prompt: write one four-lined Khayyám-style Rubaiyat on the theme of 'your muse' (with or without references to drink and pretty boys ). In addition, write one multi-stanza Interlocking Rubaiyat based on the sights and feelings stirred in you by watching Ambrose Bierce's short story, An Occurrence at Owl Bridge.[4] Use the consistent line lengths you think are best for the individual poems, and follow the basic rhyme patterns for the two types of Rubaiyat. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---------------------------------------------

[1] Translations, such as they are, are mine and based on Google Translate with reference to the meaning of the poems rendered in English by others. I provide the originals because they are available online here, but I have no way to verify the veracity of the text. The phonetic rendering of the original is also generated by Google Translate, and I make no claim on its legibility in Farsi or Arabic. I include it so we can see the relative metre and length of the lines, and the poet's rhyme scheme without translation. I have avoided all references and use of FitzGerald for this section.    

[2] In should be noted that FitzGerald's book is not an accurate rendering of the original in any sense. FitzGerald exercised a free hand in cobbling together various bits and pieces found in some of the Rubaiyat to make them more 'poetic.' Nevertheless, FitzGerald's influence as a poet cannot be understated; he just did not bother to present Khayyám in an accurate way. The Rubáiyát can be found here.  

[3] The full version of Frost's poem can be found here.

[4] There are several versions of this video on youtube, but so you are not influenced by Bierce's word choice, please avoid reading the actual story while writing your poem.

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by AC Benus

[Mikiesboy]

oh no .. nope  no no no... just no

[AC Benus]

oh no .. nope  no no no... just no

You'll work up to it, I know you will.

[Mikiesboy]

You'll work up to it, I know you will.

I'll try!!

[Emi GS]

Ok!!! I'll always opt to learn new and try new...

 

It is definitely gonna be a tough challenge and gonna take some crucial time to deal with it. And now, for my busy schedule its gonna add some more...

 

So, I am in. But definitely gonna need some(a lot some, but not a huge some) time...

[Parker Owens]

I like the idea, and your reference to Frost was a blast. So, now to cogitate and think on it. Possibly for a long, long while...

[Dolores Esteban]

Another interesting prompt, but it will take a while.

 

(Is it actually Prompt 18?)

[J.HunterDunn]

Quite a challenge. But such a good one.

 

The short story was devastating and for the musically interested: at 14:50 you can hear a few bars of Mendelssohn's Hear my prayer - I had to replay it several times to be sure.

 

(Yes I'm a nerd  ).

[AC Benus]

Quite a challenge. But such a good one.

 

The short story was devastating and for the musically interested: at 14:50 you can hear a few bars of Mendelssohn's Hear my prayer - I had to replay it several times to be sure.

 

(Yes I'm a nerd  ).

I'm glad you can watch that video, Peter. I hope everybody can, because the beauty of the soundtrack adds to the film, imo.

 

I remember watching this film in a high school literature class, and I've never forgotten it. 

[Puppilull]

The muse one almost wrote itself, but the second one... Now I'm sitting here with the trusty old rhyming dictionary and list of words again. Only four each, though. Seems like a breeze after some of the other prompts. What was the most? 13? 

[AC Benus]

The muse one almost wrote itself, but the second one... Now I'm sitting here with the trusty old rhyming dictionary and list of words again. Only four each, though. Seems like a breeze after some of the other prompts. What was the most? 13? 

I hoped that the Owl Bridge poems would be 'meaty,' that is long. It seems like a good subject and type of poem to explore in a substantial number of stanzas. 

 

Maybe even plot out sections before starting to write them down. Like an 'on the bridge' section, an 'in the water' section and so forth.

 

What do you think...?   

[Dolores Esteban]

Here are my poems. Hard work.

 

 

Poetry Prompt # 18 – Rubaiyat

Edited February 12, 2016 by Dolores Esteban

[Puppilull]

A lot of verses! And I'm struggling with three right now... LOL 

 

Will read it more carefully soon. 

[J.HunterDunn]

Beautiful, Dolores.

Your poem complements the movie very well and when read aloud feels natural and smooth.

 

As I'm still struggling with it, I can appreciate it even more.

[Puppilull]

Well, Dolores gave me inspiration to finish this! Here it is! It was harder than it sounded, I must say. 

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/puppilull/puppilullspoetryprompts/16

[AC Benus]

Here are my poems. Hard work.

 

 

Poetry Prompt # 18 – Rubaiyat

Thank you, Dolores, for taking the poetry prompt challenge! Your hard work paid off. I've left you a review on the posting    

[AC Benus]

Well, Dolores gave me inspiration to finish this! Here it is! It was harder than it sounded, I must say. 

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/puppilull/puppilullspoetryprompts/16

Thanks for taking the poetry prompt challenge! I think both poems are great, and I left you a review on the posting.  

[Mikiesboy]

Thank you, Dolores, for taking the poetry prompt challenge! Your hard work paid off. I've left you a review on the posting    

OH I need to read Dolores' and comment!!

Thanks for taking the poetry prompt challenge! I think both poems are great, and I left you a review on the posting.

I reviewed these.. they were both terrific!!

[AC Benus]

OH I need to read Dolores' and comment!!

I reviewed these.. they were both terrific!!

Thanks for being out there, Tim, and encouraging everybody along the way!!! 

 

I know we will be getting your Rubaiyat one fine day

[Mikiesboy]

Thanks for being out there, Tim, and encouraging everybody along the way!!! 

 

I know we will be getting your Rubaiyat one fine day

oh im usually sculking around ...

[AC Benus]

Beautiful, Dolores.

Your poem complements the movie very well and when read aloud feels natural and smooth.

 

As I'm still struggling with it, I can appreciate it even more.

I agree, Peter. Looking forward to seeing your take on 'muse' and 'Owl Creek'

[J.HunterDunn]

The 'muse' wasn't the problem. The 'Owl Creek' is turning out a bit too 'meaty'.

[Puppilull]

The 'muse' wasn't the problem. The 'Owl Creek' is turning out a bit too 'meaty'.

I had the exact same feeling. In the end, I accepted that three stanzas was my limit. It was difficult to simplify and reach the core of what I wanted to say when the film stirred so many emotions. It got cloudy...

[AC Benus]

When I came to think about the actual prompt, I was inspired by Frost's take on death as a theme. At first I thought I would just ask the poets to think about their own mortality and write about it. However, the subtlety of Frost's Rubaiyat – a poem about death where the word is not even mentioned – made me realize it would be better to ask the poets to subconsciously think about their own mortality through the medium of watching another die. That's when I hit upon the idea of using Bierce's timeless short story, and the wonderful film version of it.

 

I'm saying this, because my 'confession' may help others grapple with this challenge.

[Puppilull]

Hmm... I think since I'm so against the penalty it borders on fanatism, I focused more the killing and not so much death.

 

Interesting to see what others do with it now that you confessed your sneaky plan, AC! LOL